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Divinations: The Diviner's Toolbox
Table of Contents *Chapter 1 - Introduction to Divination *Chapter 2 - Preparing and Opening the Mind's Eye *Chapter 3 - The Diviner's Tool Box **The Tarot **The Crystal Ball **Tassomancy **Palmistry **Astrology **Numerology & The I-Ching **Dream Interpretation *Index/Glossary The Toolboxes Practitioners of the art of Divination have a sort of Tool Box, '''both in the literal, and mental sense. Because of the often varied types of tools required to perform our various rituals, we will need a place to store our things and keep them 'clean'. Here, I am referring not only to physical dust but to the sort of 'dust' left from stray magical energy. This very thing is why it is important to keep your wand clean as well! The type of container you choose will depend on the tools you most often use, but should be something opaque, that will not permit light to pass through it (so no flimsy fabrics). Rune satchels should be in a thick velvet or leather; tarot cards do best wrapped in silk and placed in a cedar wood box. This may sound silly and arbitrary, but these materials and storage options cut out on the potential for stray energy (remember that ambient energy we spoke of earlier?) to interfere with future readings. The idea is to limit the energy, or magic, that is being fed to your tools between readings, so that you can acquire clearer answers. If you use more than one tool, a larger box or trunk may be needed; in this case, seek for naturally treated woods, lined with soft, plush materials or padding. Nearby should be stored all the cleaning and care items, should your tool need them. See the table below for required care by tool type. Maintaining your tools should be a key part of your practices. Just as having a grubby wand will affect your spell work, so too will having grubby tools! Always make sure to store your tools properly, and to cleanse them at minimum once a month. This brings us to ''when'' to cleanse your tools. The first cleanse should always be done on the very first use of the tool (ever). The moment you receive or acquire a new tool, when you are able, your first step should be to cleanse the tool. Then you should aim to spend as much time as possible with the new tool, handling it and learning it's quirks. The next cleanse (and every one there after) should (at minimum) happen on the next New Moon. The Astrology section of the text has a handy guide to the phases of the moon, and how to check where in the cycle you may be! Ideally one should perform the cleanse at moonrise (time varies depending on location, so be aware of when the moon actually comes out in your area) on the night of the new moon; an odd contradiction, considering there is ''no moon on the night of a new moon! This absence of the light helps in moments where the suppression of energy or magic is needed, by casting no reflection of the ambient magics back. For '''''Charging tools, one would instead perform this 'cleansing' ritual on the night of a full ''moon, rather than a ''new moon. The Tools There are five systems, or methods, in particular that are rooted in history and are widely used throughout the world today: Astrology, Numerology, I Ching, Tarot and Runes. Because they have stood the test of time and each of them incorporates a sufficiently complex and balanced set of archetypes, these are often referred to as the primary, or main, methods. In your class, you will often study all of these in addition to newer (or secondary) methods such as Palmistry, The Crystal Ball, Tasseomancy '''and '''Dream Analysis. Together, these two sets of divinatory tools and practices make up what is today's global standard Divinations Toolbox. Primary * I-Ching - * The Tarot Cards - Also called Tarotmancy, the use of tarot cards to foretell the future. Made up of the Major and Minor Arcana, there are usually 21 cards in the Major Arcana, and 4 suits of 14 cards in the Minor Arcana. There are custom decks available, and decks that use different suits, as well as some that have extra cards, or some that feature fewer cards. Some decks even change the names of the Major Arcana cards to suit the theme of the deck itself. Each spread can vary in number of cards, meaning, and even the depth of the questions asked. * Astrology - The reading of the planets and stars and how they affect us. Astrology is very particular to Earth. The stars would align differently if you were on another planet, or even the moon. Theoretically this would make a difference on the energies surrounding you. Horoscopes are very common, and there are differing types. The zodiac is made of 12 houses in Western astrology. Chinese astrology uses a different system entirely, basing whole years on a single house, usually symbolized by an animal. This is not to be confused with the subject of '''Astronomy' which is the study of the physical celestial bodies and their placement in our skies, as well as the study of space and the cosmos in a non-divinatory context (IE: More concrete facts, less future-telling).'' * Numerology '-' ''The study of the meaning of numbers in everything, from giving letters in your name a symbolic number and reading that meaning, to the meaning of your birthday, to the oracle meaning of the number of any certain type of animal you see. This is not to be confused with Arithmancy which is the academic study of maths and numbers as a way to understanding magics fundamental across many other subjects such as Alchemy.'' * Runes '''- ''Not to be confused with the subject of '''Ancient Runes which is the study of the language and uses of Runes in magical applications, the divinatory tool is split into two camps Nordic Runes & The Ogham Script. ''Rune sets are usually made of stones, bones or sometimes sticks that are marked with either Norse runes or Ogham runes. The most common are using the Norse system. Readings again vary in how they are done. Some people pull a single stone, others use a spread similar to the tarot. Secondary * The Crystal Ball - * Palmistry '- ''The reading of palms. Commonly thought a parlor trick, it uses the natural creases and lines in the palm of a hand to chart out things like how long the person's life will be, how many times he will marry, ect. Some people use palmistry like tea leaves, and view the patterns as shapes to divine the future of the person. * 'Tasseomancy - ' * 'Dream Analysis - ' Space and Reading Set and setting are two very important concepts when it comes to doing a successful reading. Because of how ephemeral our grasp of these magical energies is, we must take every advantage to forge and maintain that connection for the clearest possible answer. In order to do this, we must first prepare ''ourselves'' by '''meditating and then we must prepare the physical space in which we are going to do the reading. Prepping your Space Preparing your reading space after meditation may be as simple as ensuring everyone has settled into their seats comfortably, or it may be as complex as arranging the seats and occupants in a specific pattern of arrangement. The level of complexity with which one arranges the physical environment depends greatly on the difficulty of the task and the personality and foci (objects through which to focus one's will) in play. Common arrangement alterations include: * Facing - This is the act of strategically facing oneself and/or all other occupants of the reading in a specific direction. Using a different cardinal direction will imply different elements (which relate to different question aspects), a circular pattern will seek to create order and balance, and to retain energy. The most basic version of this is in tarot or crystal ball gazing, in which the Diviner and the seeker sit facing each other with the tools between them; this basic format directs the energies to focus inward between the two people and works best when employed for a one-on-one reading. * Chair/seating/table - Similar to Facing this method arranges the seating and furniture around to suit the cardinal directions and employ balance between the physical world and the magical. By arranging the furniture in different patterns (similar to ritual spell lines) the room's 'ambient magic' flow can be rearranged and diverted (theoretically). * Additional Items - This incorporates the use of representative items and includes everything from the use of incense and herb burning, to candles (and candle colour choices), the inclusion of running water and salts.. Different items yield different effects, with things such as water and salt being of a dampening and cleansing effect, while things like candles and incense are both trance-inducing and energy producing. Conducting Your Reading * ALWAYS start with an 'opening' (see the section on meditation). This meditation takes less time the more you practice, so practice well! * Prepare your space; choose the arrangement and additions to your reading space with an eye to what will work best. If it doesn't feel necessary, it likely isn't. The idea is to enhance your reading by arranging things to your advantage, but there is only so much you can do physically. Good meditation practices and familiarity with your tools will be of far more use to you long run, and space arrangement is really only necessary for more difficult tasks. However, a good candle flame or two, or a few sticks of incense, might not go amiss in helping you! * Set up your tools. This is the part where you set about shuffling the cards or have the seeker shuffle the cards, where you brew the tea and have the seeker drink it; simply put this is where you get the Seeker focused on their questions. While you prepare your tools, ask questions for the seeker (or yourself, if you are doing a reading for yourself) to focus and think on. Tell them ''not to answer these questions out loud; they are only to think on them. ''The questions should be along the following lines: ** What is it exactly that you want to find an answer to? ** What situation surrounds this question/why do you want to know the answer? ** Is there an answer already apparent to you? If so, what is it? * Do the Reading: Once the Seeker (or you) have focused intently on the question or situation, begin the reading using your preferred tool. For example, if using Tarot, this is the part where you draw the cards and flip them over to read them; if reading the tea leaves, this is the part where you turn and drain the now-emptied cup once the seeker has drunk all the liquid inside. The specific method by which you conduct the reading varies from tool to tool, so check the guides for your tool if you are uncertain in how to proceed here. * Interpret the Answers: Once the cards have been spread, the stones cast, or the leaves read, it's time to put the puzzle together. Here, the goal is to draw on your own understanding and knowledge of the divination arts as well as to read what is actually being 'communicated' by the tool. Start by looking at what you've found, at the images that present and what you know they mean from your studies and guides. From there, draw conclusions based on the position of the item (is the card upright, or upside down? What direction are the runes facing? Where on the cup lines is the image of the Grim?); The position of the tools on your table, after they have been 'cast' or 'drawn' may play a role in your interpretation, so make sure to know how your 'casting surface' is used with your tool! * 'Close' down. This is the final step, where you enact the closing meditation and once more block out external influences. Always make sure to wrap up your practices and readings with at least an informal version of this, as leaving yourself open can have great potential for harm.